Cleaning up grills after each use and keeping all pet food and bird feeders put away is another good idea. The tubes and kegs are available in different sizes and work very well. A number of parks and wildlife teams use Karelians for the very same reason—to discourage bears from wandering into residential and park areas. âTheyâll bark at this animal and scare the heck out of it [to] let them know itâs not where itâs supposed to be and it should never come back to this location,â Myers says. Itâs an increasingly important role as polar bears move closer to human activity because of melting sea ice. This is why it is important to be aware of your surroundings while hiking through bear country. Repeat this daily until the bees vacate the hive. The Caucasian Shepherd Dog is a massive, long haired dog that can easily break the 200 pound mark. Bear dogs have also been helpful in solving wildlife crimes. keep the dog on leash … and think very hard about bringing a dog if its heavy bear country . Many state wildlife agencies in bear territory have some form of bear response plan, including the deployment of agency staff members trained in aversive conditioning techniques. If it continues to follow you, it might be eyeing you and your dog as a meal. âOver the years, Soledad and I have grown together in ways that can only be described as true partnership,â Pedersen says. Your best bet is to leave the bears alone, take away their food source, and watch from a distance. Soledad can smell polar bears under feet of snow and alert Pedersen when sheâs found a den, thus allowing the den and its inhabitants to finish their long sleep undisturbed. Halt! By then, the bear has hopefully learned its lesson that thatâs not a place it wants to return to. Of all wildlife you can encounter on a hike, bears are one of the most dangerous animals. Our website uses cookies. It's a lot of effort and resources put into an animal who may just be harvested in a hunt the next week.â. But within 20 minutes of bringing in the bear dog team, one of the dogs found elk remains. Photograph by Derek Reich Since then, law enforcement … Keeping bees away can be as simple as watering your lawn. Kara Jackson has. Carrie Hunt is a bear biologist for the Wind River Bear Institute, and she noticed several unfortunate gaps in the way bears are managed and treated in zones where the two species intersect. How do these tough dogs deter bears and convince them to leave an area? To see what cookies we serve and set your own preferences, please review our Cookie Policy. A 400+ pound bear was determined to rip the screens off windows and break into the house. The wildlife officer will trap the bear at the site, and then bring in the dogs. “Over the past 25 years of work where we do about 800 bear-shepherding actions annually, we’ve never had a bear hurt, never had a dog hurt, and never had a person hurt.”. Several national parks, including Banff, Yosemite, and Glacier, have contracted bear dogs too. They track it, bark at it, nip at its heels, until the dogs are called back by their handlers. The dogs are more than 20 inches tall and weigh between 45 and 50 pounds. Electric fencing only works, however, if it is operating before bears become a problem. That meant that human error or ignorance—a camper failing to properly secure his provisions, for example—could result in a bear casualty. If a bear approaches you, keep your dog calm, and step out of its way. In some cases, rubber bullets and beanbags are used to further discourage the bear from hanging around, teaching them that areas with humans can be dangerous. By talking calmly aloud while you are walking, most bears will hear you coming, and move away before you even get close to them. Since the smell of food attracts bears, these are materials you can buy and are designed to prevent bears from identifying the food. âIn most states, black bears are a game species. (Also read about dogs that can sniff out cancer.). They can also be amazing self-defense sidekicks, alerting us to danger or scaring off unwanted visitors. In the past 3 weeks, we’ve had four bears within close proximity to people. 1. Now it’s time to get nasty. I tell you this to reiterate the point that you just can't keep them out with regular methods! Electric fences must be 4 feet high with a quick pulse. With the body, law enforcement was able to prove the crime and prosecute the case. This âinvasion,â as itâs been called, has sparked conversations about how prepared wildlife managers in North America are for an influx of polar bears as they lose critical habitat from melting sea ice and take to land in search of food. (Read about sniffer dogs that find cremated human remains in the rubble after wildfires.). You might want to look into other breeds that are considered good sheep guardians (like the … DNA from the head matched DNA from the remains. Soledad is a huntress.â, Together theyâve released 500-pound black bears in Tahoe and pushed mama grizzlies with cubs out of campgrounds in the Rocky Mountains. It is best to spray at night when bees are dormant in order to avoid agitating them. Orca (left), Dazzle (center), and Roosterâ"bear dogs" with the Nevada Department of Wildlifeâdrive away a black bear in Nevada's Lake Tahoe Basin. Keep an eye out for bear scat, something your dog might also alert you of. After watching how wildlife rangersâ dogs could scare bears away, she was inspired. Often, humans help join in the ruckus. Tips, stories, and reviews for people who love dogs, powered by Rover.com, the world's largest network of 5-star pet sitters and dog walkers. But for one breed—the Karelian bear dog—that sort of behavior is pure playground antics. Maybe the best way to deal with a bear encounter is to try to prevent one altogether. Bear kegs are another method of keeping bears away from your campsite. It sounds cruel, but the point is to keep the bears away from high risk areas without resorting to killing them. They are used in Colorado around camping areas with great success. For those with compost piles, be … Despite the enthusiasm for the program among some state wildlife managers, Karelian bear dogs arenât the best choice for everyone or every setting. Though bears sometimes return even after such negative experiences, the rate at which they return is far lower than when they are just trapped and then physically removed. Finnish breeders originally intended the animal to be a big game hunting dog, but Hunt realized they could be trained to manage wildlife, too. In 1996, Hunt founded the Wind River Bear Institute, headquartered in Florence, Montana, to train a special breed of dogs to be âbear shepherdsââto bark and scare away bears when they get too close to human settlements and to condition them to steer clear. They can be applied as a perimeter treatment around the building or garden to keep dogs away from protected areas. Cecily is also the proud momma of two hounds, Henry and Mabel, but Wony the Pug was her first dog love. When dozens of polar bears descended upon the northern Russian archipelago of Novaya Zemlya, no one was sure what to do. Close off the areas below decks and porches in the winter. Under the Marine Mammal Protection Act, land managers at oil and gas fields and other work sites are required to establish mile-wide buffer zones around polar bear dens, preventing activity until their hibernation is over. The results have been promising. Certainly, for some humans living near bear populations, Karelians are truly man’s best friend. Disney’s Live-Action Lady and the Tramp is Here! Sign up and get $25 off pet sitting and dog walking! Keep dogs on leashes and under controlsome dogs may act aggressively toward a bear, which would cause the bear to react in defense. Another study published in International Bear News in 2014 suggest dogs may actually trigger bear attacks. But polar bears are an endangered species in Russia, and the federal government has refused to issue licenses to shoot them. But they needed more evidence to bring the suspect to court. He is on guard as long as he’s plugged in, barking when the bear is too near and … One day of “bear intimidation” tactics training can cost $500 to $900, and Hunt charges as much as $2,300 for a trained Karelian. These dogs have inhabited northeastern Europe and Scandinavia since Neolithic times. But Soledad is also trained to do something elseâshe can sniff out polar bear dens. In this post, we’ll share some tips on how to keep bears away when hiking and camping in the wild. The study revealed 49 of 92 reported black bear attacks in Canada and the United States from 2010-2015 involved dogs, many of which were off-leash. It was the family’s third bear encounter in a month. Bears: I purchased a Spark-Away unit mid-summer at the height of black bear activity. Kara knew what to do, however, and made enough noise to startle the bear and chase it away. Sometimes they fire beanbag rounds or rubber bullets to scare the bear even more, and then the bear dogs are released. Watering Your Lawn. âIt was in my DNA to want to communicate with dogs and bears and work to help them.â, SubscribePrivacy Policy(UPDATED)Terms of ServiceCookie PolicyPolicies & ProceduresContact InformationWhere to WatchConsent ManagementCookie Settings, We knew platypuses were incredible. Bears learn to fear dogs and people during such incidents, which makes them less likely to become problem animals. Make sure that whatever electric fence system you use, your fence is at least 3 1/2 feet high, with wire strands no more than 8 inches apart on a permanent fence, and 12 inches apart on a temporary fence. Two rare bear attacks show a rise in conflicts with people, Also read about dogs that can sniff out cancer, Read about sniffer dogs that find cremated human remains in the rubble after wildfires. It operates by radar and knows when a bear (or a burglar) is attempting to enter a house. âWhy? In the 20 years heâs been working with bear dogs, Beausoleil says he hasnât seen any dogs injured because of their work. One of the benefits of electric fencing is that it not only deters bears, but it teaches them to keep away. Karahan Hostel, Yusufeli Picture: The pension's beehives. When sprayed in an animal's face, the solution causes extreme discomfort in it and gives you time to safely leave the dangerous area. âI think that our personalities were complimentary to begin with...but the joy that this dog brings me cannot be adequately put into words. These natural dog deterrents are also very effective to stop horses and even wolves! Karelian bear dogs (pictured, Orca in Nevada) were originally bred in Europe to hunt big game. The bears entered homes and public buildings, and people were afraid to go outside. So I’ve put together a list of tips that will help keep the bears from showing up at your camp site. evitaochel / Pixabay. Karelian Bear Dogs: Instead of Sheep, These Dogs Herd…Bears, Meet the Dogs Rescuing Koalas from Wild Fires. Bred to protect sheep flocks and homes from predator attack, and of … The Rex Plus Barking Dog Alarm scares off bears or other intruders. How Do Dogs Choose Their Favorite Person? The Wind River Bear Institute breeds, trains, and sells Karelian bear dogs as well as contracts them out to agencies that donât have the resources to have their own program. in harm’s way. Since then, law enforcement and wildlife agencies in the United States and Canada increasingly have begun turning to dogs as an alternative to keep bears away. And the work helps fund the institute. She earned an MFA in creative writing from the University of Houston and reviews books for The Dallas Morning News. The Wind River Bear Institute in Florence, Montana, has stepped in to help protect both bears and humans, and the key to their success is the Karelian bear dog. Karelian bear dogs are quick on their toes and don’t scare easily; these traits made them useful to hunters of large game, like moose, boars, and of course bears. Karelian bear dogs were bred to find and chase bears away from populated areas. Hunt realized that bears can be taught, just as we teach ourselves and our dogs new tricks all the time. Dogs can sometimes keep bears away from a camp, but very often, a dog initially chases a bear and then the bear chases the dog right back to the camp. Ann Bryant, executive director of The BEAR League, a volunteer bear conservation group in Tahoe, ran into obstacles trying to use them in populated areas. Ever had a bear try to claw its way into your house? When it’s time to release the bear, a team of Karelians and humans stages a nerve-wracking goodbye party, firing rubber bullets as the bear is released and bringing out the dogs to bark and chase the animal. Spotting a wild animal in its natural habitat is always an exhilarating experience. A: While I'm actually very distantly related to dogs, we generally don't get along. At the same time, bears were becoming more comfortable venturing into human space, putting themselves (and humans!) It took two visits to the porch (with spark-away) by the aggressive bear and it never showed up again on the porch. https://www.rover.com/blog/karelian-bear-dogs-instead-sheep-dogs-herd-bears Most of the tactics for keeping bears from showing up at your camp site have something to do with scents. âThe good thing about bears is that theyâre smart enough to know [and] to learn quickly. Those were the only two options and neither one of those was effective at all.â. Karelian bear dogs (pictured, Orca in Nevada) were originally bred in Europe to hunt big game. If a bear comes too close, Rex barks viciously and stops as soon as the bear runs off. It's not gonna end well. Dazzle pursues a black bear in Lake Tahoe. Should polar bear hunting be legal? These Big Dog Owners Accepted the Challenge. Now we know they glow, too, Centuries of breeding have reshaped dog brains. In another case, officers were tipped off that an elk had been poached, and they went to the suspectâs house to investigate, finding an elk head. Sometimes the bear might just have wanted to go in the same direction you were. Spray objects and areas around the hive as well as flowers, bushes and plants that attract them. These areas are the perfect place for bears to hide out, so block them off, particularly in winter. Bears will go right through electric fencing once they are food-conditioned and know that food is available. FIND THE BEST PRICE 2. âThey were able to prosecute once again based on being able to find the carcass, which we never wouldâve found without the bear dog,â Beausoleil says. Keep a Bear Out of the Garden & Yard. You've likely risen many mornings to find your trash strewn about your yard or street. When bears feel cornered, they are more likely to initiate an attack. The big dog keeps the bears away. Derek Reich, a volunteer who assists the Nevada Department of Wildlife with its bear dog team, says that the time and resources required to train bear dogs has limited the growth of their program. Rex is a barking dog that resides in a small box kept on your counter when you’re not home. Photograph by Derek Reich Since then, law enforcement and wildlife agencies in the United States and Canada increasingly have begun turning to dogs as an alternative to keep bears away. A dog in bear country can be both a deterrent and an attractant. Rather than intimidating squirrels and cats, Karelian bear dogs keep bears—yes, as in brown, black, and grizzly—on their toes. After more than twenty years at the helm of the institute, Hunt says sheâll be stepping back soon from the program, and Pedersen will be taking over as executive director. “This dog is an ambassador for teaching the public about how to get along better with bears and also teaching bears that they have to move away from humans.”, Carrie Hunt, Founder, Wind River Bear Institute. This black-and-white breed is native to Finland, where the breed is considered a national treasure. Karelian bear dogs (pictured, Orca in Nevada) were originally bred in Europe to hunt big game. One bear biologist, Carrie Hunt, has made it her lifeâs mission to find effective, non-lethal methods to prevent human-bear conflict. âItâs a huge, full-time job because that dog is there with you all the time,â Bryant says. By continuing to use our site, you agree to our use of cookies. âOfficers searched hundreds of hours looking for it, and someone said, âYou know what, geez, I wonder if the Karelian bear dog guys could find this?ââ Beausoleil says. âI am confident saying that thousands of bears have been spared the bullet using this nonlethal technique,â said Rich Beausoleil, a wildlife biologist with Washingtonâs wildlife department, which has eight dogs, in an email. If you come upon a bear by surprise walk slowly away. Keeping a guard dog such as a Great Pyrenees or Shepherd will prevent predators from coming too close to livestock. Because packs of coyotes can steal cubs.â. Double bagging and storing in airtight containers is also helpful for stopping bears. It takes off like a rocket,â Myers says. Bears will generally avoid a busy trail, and the last thing you want to do is surprise a feeding bear. The investigators went out to search for the rest of the elkâs body, but they came up empty-handed. Hunt emphasizes that safety is her chief concern when sending dogs after bears, and she says theyâve had no injuries in the field either. Pedersen has formed a very close bond with his principal Karelian bear dog, Soledad. âI had this dream, and it became a reality because I never gave up,â she says. âIâm going to try to expand the use of these dogs into new areas that have bear problems like the east coast of the United States.â, Hunt says sheâs proud of her legacy. He was aggressive towards people and vehicles as well. Stop the neighborhood dogs from messing in your yard with Bear pee. âIt can work, itâs not a panaceaâ¦.You really got to research it, be dedicated at it. Similarly, black bearsâ ranges are expanding and oil and gas development is increasingly close to or in bear territory. What bear would want to raid a cooler while having to listen to screams and barks and noise-makers? Also, block off any crawlspaces below your home by nailing wood panels across them. Fourteen years ago, the organization got two Karelian bear dogs, Anya and Dmytry, from a breeder and trained them up. âIt's also easier for a lot of agencies to just kill the bear,â Reich said in an email. Don’t feed them or follow them trying to get a picture! ), Typically if a bear shows up at a dump or digging through someoneâs garbage, âyouâd either show up, corner the animal, and euthanize it,â says Alan Myers from the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, "or you would dart the animal, put it in a cage, and take it many miles away. âThey want to go out and get that bear,â says Nils Pedersen, the wildlife dog program coordinator at Wind River Bear Instituteâs satellite kennel in Fairbanks, Alaska. âBears are naturally afraid of canids,â Hunt says. The most common breed of bear dog is the Karelian bear dog, a black-and-white working dog that hails from the region between Finland and Russia called Karelia. 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